A Special Gift

"Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.” 

~ Pablo Picasso

Susan and I spent a lovely night out earlier this week with a group of my OLD friends from high school. (Note the caps on OLD...JK!)

It was a fun evening of catching up. Very little "remember whens".

It's amazing to me that whenever I get the rare occasion to see them, we seem to just pick up where we left off, fill in the blanks and share whatever is new .

The gathering was prompted by the opportunity to spend the night with the wife of our high school choir director who just happened to be in town for a few days.

Mr. Allen had passed away a number of years ago.

During his long and prolonged illness and fight for life to the end, Gail his wife had used Facebook to reach out to all of us, his former students, to keep us informed as well as to stay connected.

At one point late in the evening, I had the opportunity to sit quietly with Gail and just talk between the tow of us.

In the grand scheme of things, I was a late comer to the vocal department , spending most of my time across the hall in the band room. You know where the real musicians hung out .

(Okay JUST KIDDING again!)

I did not have the same shared experiences that many others may have had with Mr. Allen and his family.

Mr. Allen, Norm as we often affectionately  as well as disrespectfully referred to him, was a big happy teddy bear of a man,large in size as well as in his persona.

He was by any measure an excellent teacher. 

To many he was much more than that. 

The door to his home was just as welcoming as the door to his classroom.

He didn't just teach his students, he embraced them.

Gail shared with me that towards the end of his days, Mr. Allen was not the same man we all knew and loved.

She also shared that no matter how bitter or angry he was at life, the family stuck by his side, a testament to the father and person he had been for the better part of his life. He had passed on a career as a professional singer , in part because he loved his family and also because he loved teaching.

He shared his gift with all of those who were blessed enough to have come under his tutelage.

But the greatest gift that he gave to any one was the one he gave to his wife, bringing us into their home.Throughout the evening , it was obvious by the names she brought up, that she was still connected to years and years of different students and classes that had come and gone.

Her eyes lit up as if she was speaking of her own children,sharing memories and anecdotes.

I am fairly confident that of all the things Mr. Allen ever gave to his wife, this gift may very well be the one she cherishes the most.

As for myself, of all the the lessons he may have taught me, this is the one that I will never forget!

Thanks you Mr. Allen!